The following comes from TJ Walker’s upcoming book “The Wisdom of Your Audience”. Consistently, the worst advice speakers and presenters get, comes from everyone who is NOT your audience. The following gives examples of some of the WORST advice people are often given. It is followed by the advice of your audience. Listen to them. They are your true judge and jury.

Do great speakers have to have a certain type of look?

Director of Marketing: “Yes, great speakers need to have a polished look. Make sure you have hand-tailored suits and expensive shoes on when speaking.”

Chief Legal Counsel: “Only an expensive business suit will do. And best to have some distinguished gray hair too.”

You: “I had better look like Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher or Bill Clinton. Otherwise my audience will think I’m a joke. I’m going to be toast!”

***

Your Audience: “We don’t really care what you look like, or sound like. Just give us interesting and memorable ideas and do so with passion and stories. You can look as small and quiet as Mother Theresa or as big and rumpled as Michael Moore, we will give you are full attention for the next 20-60 minutes. We aren’t looking to marry you and we aren’t looking for a fashion role model. Just look and sound real and authentic to who you are and you won’t have any problems.”

The following comes from TJ Walker’s upcoming book “The Wisdom of Your Audience”. Consistently, the worst advice speakers and presenters get, comes from everyone who is NOT your audience. The following gives examples of some of the WORST advice people are often given. It is followed by the advice of your audience. Listen to them. They are your true judge and jury.

What bugs my audience the most?

Your Speechwriter: “Not having perfect transitions and a clear enough outline/structure.”

Your speech coach: “Audiences are bothered by excessive hand movement and shuffling of the feet.”

You: “I’m sure they are bothered by my ‘uhs’ and ‘ums’, less than graceful transitions,  an unclear structure and by going on too long.”

***

Your Audience: “What bugs us the most is when you bore us with tons of abstract details, numbers and facts that seem disconnected from anything with a real world application. We are so easy to please: just tell us a few interesting messages unsung stories and examples. Throw in a little passion and we’ll be telling people for years what a great speaker you are.”

The following comes from TJ Walker’s upcoming book “The Wisdom of Your Audience”. Consistently, the worst advice speakers and presenters get, comes from everyone who is NOT your audience. The following gives examples of some of the WORST advice people are often given. It is followed by the advice of your audience. Listen to them. They are your true judge and jury.

What should I do with my hands?

Your Speech Coach: “Keep one hand in your pocket at all times and you will be less distracting.”

Your Public Relations Chief: “Place both hands on the lectern in front of you. That way they won’t be distracting.”

Your Webcast Technical Adviser: “Hold your hands together in front of you. That way they won’t be distracting.”

You: “Maybe I’ll hold a pen in my hands to keep myself calm. This will make ME feel better.”

***

Your Audience: “Your hands? What? All we know is that it’s more interesting to listen to speakers who are conversational and don’t look and sound like stiffs. Our favorite speakers sound and look like they are talking to their best friend at a bar. Have you ever seen yourself talking to friends at a bar? Guess what, you move your hands a lot.”

I feel for former President Bill Clinton. He is, by all accounts, an indefatigable campaigner, often getting by with less than four hours sleep. Well, apparently even Clinton gets tired. Below is a video clip of Clinton snoozing and attempting in vain to stay awake while on the stage behind a speaker. My cheap easy advice is for everyone to get at least 8 hours of sleep, not only on days when you are speaking, but also when you are going to be near any0one else who is speaking and might have a video camera pointed at him or her. If you need motivation to get a good night’s sleep, then you need to watch this.

http://www.nypost.com/video/?vxSiteId=0db7b365-a288-4708-857b-8bdb545cbd0f&vxChannel=NY%20Post&vxClipId=1458_227094&vxBitrate=700

Giuliani defending his immigration policies. He seems reasonable and rational here.

Thompson continues to stammer.

Huckabee on immigration strikes a balance of seeming tough and compassionate. Fascinating spin by saying immigrants should be able to hold their heads high–nice twist.  

Paul. Sounds rational and intelligent on immigration.

Q_what about Barack Obama?

Romney–uses occasion big words like “positing.”

Thompson. Obama is a “liberal” “liberal” “liberal”

McCain. Gets the best dig in of the night “Romney, you are the candidate of change” boom, what a funny slam!

McCain is having the most fun tongiht. Finally, McCain’s humor is coming through.

 Giuliani–Nobody likes to talk about htis, but Giuliani has a lisp and he’s bald. The more he is seen, the worse he seems to be doing. Is there a corelation and causation here?

 Huckabee takes interesting twist saying positive things about Obama and drafting into his vertical outlook.

I’m not a proponent of Monarchy, but I do give Queen Elizabeth high marks for her 2007 Christmas speech as seen on YouTube. The queen isn’t frozen or stiff, doesn’t should like she is reading, and uses great visuals of video images of family, plus holiday decorations. She appeared likeable. Here’s how I rate her.

The WalkerSpeak™ Rating (0-50 rating)
Movement   7
Message   7
Memorablity   5
Motivation   7
eMotion   7
A 33, all in all, not a bad performance by the Matriarch.

I am fine-tuning a new rating system for evaluating public speakers. Here is a sneak-preview. If you have somone you wnat me to rate. Send me a note and a video link to tj@tjwalker.com. 

The WalkerSpeak™ Rating (0-50 rating)

Movement
Message
Memorablity
Motivation
eMotion

The WalkerSpeak™ Rating system judges speakers based on five criteria:

1. Movement. Does the speaker move his/her body/hands/face/eyebrows/voice in a natural, comfortable and confident manner? (0-10 pts)
2. Message. Does the speaker have a clear, understandable and relevant message for the audience? (0-10 pts)
3. Memorablity. Does the speaker use memorable stories, case studies and examples or does the speaker dump data and remain abstract? If the person uses PowerPoint slides, video clips, or other media, does the speaker use the media in a visual, memorable manner (i.e. images only and one idea per slide or image) or does the speaker use the media as a boring crutch for holding text and bullet points. (0-10 pts)
4. Motivation. Does the speaker motivate the audience to take a specific action? (Note: the speaker is not being judged by the standards of a cheesy “motivational speaker.”) (0-10 pts)
5. eMotion. Does the speaker connect with the audience on not just an intellectual level but an emotional level? (0-10 pts)

General Ratings

40-50. An outstanding speaker who communicates substance with style
39-32. A competent, above-average speaker
31-26. An adequate speaker 
25-21. Not a painful speaker to listen to, but little communication occurs
20 and below. A problem speaker who needs major improvement in style and substance

The WalkerSpeak™ Rating was created by TJ Walker, founder of The Speaking Channel www.speakingchannel.tv and the CEO of Media Training Worldwide. Walker has conducted presentation training for thousands of executives, CEOs. Prime Ministers, Nobel Peace Prize winners, Miss Universes, athletes and celebrities since 1984.